George's Employment Blawg

MOVED TO NEW LOCATION!

2005-10-10T16:01:00.000-05:00

ALL FUTURE POSTS TO THIS BLAWG WILL BE TO:

www.employmentblawg.com

Go there to see our all-new look and features, and bookmark this new url.

If you use a newsreader and our Feedburner feed, you should not have to make any changes.

UPDATE: Having some difficulties with the Feedburner feed. Will announce when it's up and running again.

UPDATE 2: Feedburner is back up and running.

Employment Branding And Google: Nice Example of Video and Webpages

2005-09-26T10:28:00.000-05:00

Google has done a nice job of developing recruitment materials that are available over the web. These materials include a nice video, a list of reasons to go to work for Google, and other such things. Google provides a great example of employment branding; I don't think it will work for all companies, but it is nevertheless, a good example worth looking at.

Included in their list of reasons to work for Google:

Life is beautiful;

Work and play are not mutually exclusive;

Good company everywhere you look.

For the video describing what it is like to work at Google, go here.

Even more Laughs! And This One Is Actually Funny!

2005-09-15T20:14:00.000-05:00

First, however, I must acknowledge recruiting.com, where I found this joke.

Second, I must tell you that I modified it slightly, for a variety of reasons. I hope you like it; I think it's really funny. No, it is NOT an attorney joke...don't worry, George, I'll get to those one of these days..........

Here it goes....

Once upon a time, in a nice little forest, there lived an orphaned bunny and an orphaned snake.

By a surprising coincidence, both were blind from birth. One day, the bunny was hopping through the forest, and the snake was slithering through the forest, when the bunny tripped over the snake and fell down.

This, of course, knocked the snake about quite a bit. "Oh, my," Said
the bunny, "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I've been blind since birth,
so, I can't see where I'm going. In fact, since I'm also an orphan, I don't
even know what I am."

It's quite ok," replied the snake. "Actually, my story is as yours.
I am blind from birth and an orphan. I tell you what, maybe I could slither all
over you, and work out what you are so at least you'll have that going for you."

"Oh, that would be wonderful" replied the bunny. So the snake slithered all
over the bunny, and said, "Well, you're covered with soft fur, you have
really long ears, your nose twitches, and you have a soft cottony tail. I'd say that
you must be a bunny rabbit."

"Oh, thank you, thank you," cried the bunny, in obvious excitement. The bunny
suggested to the snake, "Maybe I could feel you all over with my paw, and
help you the same way that you've helped me."

So the bunny felt the snake all over, and remarked, "Well, you're smooth and
slippery, and you have a forked tongue, and no backbone. I'd say
you must be a management consultant."

Monster.com is on Board the Katrina Jobs Train

2005-09-14T17:44:00.000-05:00

In an earlier post, I suggested that Monster.com consider free job listings for employers desiring to hire Katrina evacuees, indicating I was e-mailing Monster to suggest this.

Today I received the following response:

Good afternoon,

On behalf of Monster, I wish to express my sincerest thanks for your inquiry regarding Monster's planned efforts for hurricane relief.

We at Monster are deeply saddened by these tragic events and welcome your ideas to help ease the suffering for the people affected. We understand the challenge for these survivors is only the beginning; they now need to rebuild their lives by finding new homes and new jobs.

Monster's core promise is to advance people's lives, and we have efforts underway to support those survivors and communities hardest hit. We are working on a nationwide initiative to help people who lost their jobs as a result of this tragedy. You can view the current website by visiting http://hurricanerelief.monster.com/

Our hope is that our effort will fulfill a critical need during these trying times.

Sincerely,

James McNamee
Complaint Management Specialist
james.mcnamee@monster.com

Check it out. Do whatever you can.

Need a Little Laugh? I Do....So Read "Who's Kidding?"

2005-09-14T08:04:00.000-05:00

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked a young Engineer fresh out of college, "And what starting salary were you looking for?"

The Engineer said, "In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."

The interviewer said, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, a company matching retirement fund for 50% of your salary, and a company car leased every 2 years-say, a red Corvette?"

The Engineer sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding?"

And the interviewer replied, "Yeah, but you started it"

I found this joke here.

HR/Employment Blogosphere Update for September 13, 2005

2005-09-13T20:01:00.000-05:00

This Blawg is speeding down the road to our exciting makeover.

(Yes, I once drove a classic Mustang -- a Rangoon Red '65 fastback with red interior and 289 4-barrel, and hope to one day drive it again. That's why I like this photo.)

Meanwhile, I'm feeling like I abandoned my regular update readers by skipping two Mondays.

So here, better late than never, is a quick update from around the blogosphere (no table of contents or headings today, just running through blogs in alphabetical order, as far as I get before bedtime):

Donald at All Deliberate Speed reports on an Eighth Circuit case restating one reason it's tough to prove discrimination: the proper inquiry is not whether the employer was factually correct in its assessment of the plaintiff's misconduct or poor job performance, but whether it honestly believed the facts were as stated.

Janell at BenefitsBlog has a sobering look at the conditions of the courts and lawyers in Louisiana in the wake of Katrina. Surely there are more unfortunate people than most of the lawyers, but the justice system implications described are very problematic.

Speaking of sobering Katrina posts, with which the blogosphere is of course loaded, Confined Space has: "To Be A New Orleans Police Officer."

And The Employment Law Bulletin has a good "rant" on federal response to Katrina (one of millions, no doubt, but this one even ends with a (sick) joke!) (mostly quoting Keith Olbermann).

Chuck Krugel continues his series of family photos of people at work, interesting to me because of my love for both photography and labor history. Now we see his "great grandmother, Minnie Levinson, at her and her husband Abraham Levinson's grocery store . . . under the L tracks" in Chicago, and his pharmacist Dad in a drugstore circa 1960.

Chuck also provides an update on post-AFL-CIO split union organizing strategies. See my (slightly unrealistic and smartass) comment there.

Drama, Conflict, Despair & Victory at Work writes on a Ninth Circuit case on non-sexual sex-based harassment (offensive conduct may be unlawful "if there is sufficient circumstantial evidence of qualitative and quantitative differences in the harassment suffered by female and male employees," even if the conduct is not facially sex-specific).

Not new law, but maybe news to some.

Ross' Employment Blog also discusses this case, and lays the applicable law out crystal clear.

The flip side is also true, but cases on this point are hard to find: conduct may be sexual in nature (e.g., dirty jokes, discussions of sexual exploits), but if not singling out one gender, race, etc., it is not unlawful.

Jottings by an Employer's Lawyer covers President Bush's emergency suspension of the Davis-Bacon Act for certain counties in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, the somewhat misguided and misinformed backlash thereto, and a bit of explanation about this Act.

(It is ironic that the word Bacon is part of the name of this union-suckup-porkbarrel act that wastes billions of taxpayer dollars paying "prevailing wages" that are anything but).

Labor & Employment Law Blog has a crucial, if non-sexy, tidbit: "In response to the recent increases in the cost of gasoline, on September 9, 2005, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") increased the optional standard mileage rates . . . for the last four months of 2005 to 48.5 cents per mile."

Thoughts from a Management Lawyer links to an article on providing the desired flexibility older workers are looking for.

OK, I got through the alphabet on employment law blogs, but not the rest of the HR/Employment blogs on my blogroll.

I really want to enhance this weekly update feature, and provide this community a better central spot for showcasing the week's best posts (without eating up my time every weekend).

I have a (brilliant) idea for doing this, while building community and linkage for all these bloggers. I hope to implement this idea by year's end, under the domain name "www.workworldweek." Stay tuned.

(mustang photo by aqui-ali via flickr)

Getting Ready to Interview? Check www.interviewat.com

2005-09-13T10:26:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't you love to have a preview of what kinds of interview questions and selection processes a company you are about to interview at has?

Now, you can find out that kind of information, and so far, it is free!

Just go to www.interviewat.com and find information about what to expect at the interview. My quick look through this website indicated that the focus is on technical interviews, but there may be lots of other information as well.

One applicant even listed specific questions on a written test that he took.

I wonder whether any legal liability could arise from the kind of information that is listed there, as I have heard of companies that required applicants to sign an agreement that they would not reveal the contents of the tests they took to anyone.

Need a good lawyer? You may wish to contact George!

Blog This Story: Queen of the Sky Sues Delta For Firing

2005-09-12T12:16:00.000-05:00

Remember the Queen of the Sky? George had several postings dealing with her blog (here and here). She was a flight attendant who was ultimately fired by Delta for blogging. You may recall that on her blog, she included some pictures of herself that some might have called "racy." You can visit her website, queenofsky.journalspace.com, here.

What she is doing now is

suing Delta, of course, for Title VII violations (sex discrimination) and for a violation of the Railway Labor Act.

I searched for a copy of the lawsuit she filed, but was not successful in locating it.

Flattery Will Get You Everywhere....Including the Courtroom

2005-09-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

For Mae West fans, you may know that the quote "Flattery will get you everywhere" is attributed to her!

Now you can read about how flattery can even get a company into court. In this case, a manager was making complimentary statements about how young an older employee looked. You probably know what happened next: a termation. In this case, the company argued that

the employee was fired for job-related reasons. Turns out that the employee's performance exceeded other employees. On appeal, the court upheld the decision.

Implication is that even complimentary statements about an employee's protected class (e.g., age) can hurt the company. Next time your department holds an "over 50" party, be very careful about what you say!

Read the entire story on flattery and age discrimination here at AHI Publications

Good news, bad news about this blog (mostly good)

2005-09-12T09:20:00.000-05:00

The good news is that we are welcoming aboard a third contributor, Catherine Collingwood.

Catherine was one of our first readers, back when we were lucky to see 200 pageviews a week (now we're 300+ a DAY).

She is a longtime blogger, operating CathColl.net, which she describes as "a general-purpose personal web site." It is not, however, a personal-life blog (except for the occasional cat story or pic), but contains well-written, plain-English thoughts and comments on a wide range of news items and issues, including HR and employee benefits.

Catherine is a benefits specialist for a professional employer organization (PEO) in Raleigh, North Carolina. She also spent nine years in human resources with various agencies of the State of North Carolina, beginning as a personnel assistant and ending as a compensation and benefits specialist.

We hope she will provide some useful additional content on PEOs and HR outsourcing, non-technical benefits issues, and general HR topics, all from her HR insider's perspective, which Michael and I -- as lawyer and professor -- lack.

In addition to contributing, Catherine will serve as the site administrator for George’s Employment Blawg. Which brings us to more good news -- and the bad news.

Catherine has been preparing a redesign of this Blawg, which will run using Wordpress rather than Blogger. She calls it "Version 2.0 of George’s Employment Blawg" and promises "many changes to enhance the reader experience."

The bad news is that this will require a brief transitional hiatus in a few days, just as we are seeing phenomenal readership growth. So please have patience if you don't see too many new posts this week, and return soon for further instructions about the new site.

Comment to read

2005-09-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

Comments can quickly be buried on a busy blog like this one, so sometimes I like to highlight them.

Today, I received a comment supplementing my Labor Day book review of "Labor Law Stories," apparently from one of the authors, Dennis Nolan.

I had never done a book review before (at least not since "book reports" in school decades ago!) It is quite a formidable task. I had been reading into this book periodically since mid-summer, and there was so much I could have said it was difficult to boil it down to an appropriate length. I also did not want to dwell on a particular chapter in detail at the expense of the others.

This comment begins:

To follow up on your point about understanding how court decisions "are the culmination of numerous lawyering and judging choices," many of the chapters in Labor Law Stories demonstrate the contingent nature of what we now view as established and almost inevitable law.

The comment continues with an excellent illustration from the author's chapter, really helping to fill out the review.

A few lessons from a race discrimination case involving termination of an attorney

2005-09-08T12:35:00.000-05:00

Today Law.com linked to an article about the 11th Circuit's prompt disposition -- in the employer's favor -- of a case involving termination of a black female in-house attorney .

According to this article, the Court of Appeals affirmed the grant of summary judgment "on the basis of the thorough and well-reasoned discussion of the issues" by the District Court.

I did not look for the District Court opinion, but only read the article. Nonetheless, a few observations came to mind.

First, the Corporation's General Counsel hired the plaintiff "in 1998 as he spearheaded a campaign to make corporate legal departments more racially diverse." The same man fired her in 2000.

Lesson: Many courts have found persuasive the argument that when the person who fired a discrimination plaintiff is the same person who hired him or her, there can be no discrimination because had that person been prejudiced racially (or on other protected grounds) they would not have hired the plaintiff.

Second, the stated reason for termination was that the plaintiff did not "provide good client service, didn't take responsibility for her actions, and didn't meet BellSouth's standards for earning clients' acceptance, trust and respect. "

On the other hand, she hardly appears to be a complete failure as an attorney. She had previously "worked for New York's Hughes Hubbard & Reed, represented IBM and worked for the U.S. attorney's office in the Southern District of Florida." After the disputed termination, she joined the Miami firm Coffey & Wright, where her profile is quite impressive.

However, the article gives a specific example of her aggravation of clients. Presumably the evidence included more such incidents.

Lesson: Termination of an employee who in many respects is quite competent and performs many job functions well may be quite defensible, based on substantial evidence of problems with particular aspects of performance. For example, where an employee is undeniably very knowledgeable and technically competent, but fails as a manager due to poor interpersonal skills, inability to control anger, etc.

[Caveat: I don't know what the summary judgment evidence or analysis was on these points; just thought the article presented a "teaching moment" based on my speculation]

Fulton County Daily Report (via law.com): "11th Circuit Turns Back BellSouth Attorney's Discrimination Claims" by Scott Simonson

Need a Good Laugh? Try "Read Between Lines..."

2005-09-08T09:21:00.000-05:00

You have heard the old expression "read between the lines?" Then try this joke.

A supervisor thinking about hiring Bob Smith requested a letter of reference. His current boss wrote the following letter describing Bob Smith:

Bob Smith, my assistant programmer, can always be found
hard at work in his cubicle. Bob works independently, without
wasting company time talking to colleagues. Bob never
thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and he always
finishes given assignments on time. Often Bob takes extended
measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee
breaks. Bob is a dedicated individual who has absolutely no
vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound
knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Bob can be
classed as a high-caliber employee, the type which cannot be
dispensed with. Consequently, I duly recommend that Bob be
promoted to executive management, and a proposal will be
executed as soon as possible.

A memo was soon sent following the letter:

That idiot was reading over my shoulder while I wrote the report sent to you earlier today. Kindly read only the odd numbered lines (1, 3, 5, etc...) for my true assessment of him.

More on HR profession's Katrina response

2005-09-07T13:22:00.000-05:00

Last week, I passed along the SHRM President's letter encouraging the HR community to participate in the hurricane relief efforts.

Today, I got an e-mail from her about a very specific and important volunteer opportunity for HR professionals:

In my e-mail to SHRM members last Friday, I encouraged you to contribute in some way to the overall Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. An opportunity has arisen that we think is an ideal way for our members to contribute their expertise and energy to the relief efforts.

The American Red Cross has an immediate need for groups of 50 Staff Relations Associates to work in two-week cycles at their disaster center, at this time primarily in Baton Rouge. These are VOLUNTEER positions, which require basic employee relations skills. Associates will act as liaisons and ombudsmen for the paid and volunteer Red Cross staff who are directly providing services to those displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Associates will be called upon to intervene, investigate, and resolve complaints and allegations that arise among the staff of the disaster center. To be effective, Associates will help develop a positive, supportive, and productive work environment, demonstrating sound human resource management practices at all levels.

This position will require long hours and be physically and psychologically demanding. It is not likely that there will be air conditioning or other amenities. Each volunteer is expected to give a minimum of two consecutive weeks of time on assignment at the site. Training and orientation will be provided for Associates, who are needed immediately and for the next few months. Travel expenses will be paid, and accommodations and meals will be provided while on assignment. The accommodations will most likely be in a staff shelter/dormitory type arrangement.

We have highlighted this opportunity on the Hurricane Katrina Resource Page of the SHRM Web site, where you can find further details and a link to submit your application through our HR Jobs link. I am pleased to say that 40 SHRM members have already submitted applications, and I commend them for stepping up to help alleviate the suffering caused by America’s worst natural disaster.

As the largest HR association in the world, we are uniquely positioned to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of displaced victims. In the meantime, I encourage you to employ the same passion and creativity that you bring to your HR tasks in reaching out to help the victims of this unprecedented catastrophe.

Sue Meisinger, President & CEO

Note that the Hurricane Katrina Resource Page includes a column of important Katrina-and-employment news.

One item of particular interest: "Homeland Security Eases I-9 Documentation Requirements for Hiring Hurricane Victims"

Economic Impact of Katrina: Forecasts and Predictions

2005-09-07T11:25:00.000-05:00

Back to discussing the economic impact of Katrina, the latest predictions about this have just been released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the forecasts are interesting.

How many jobs do you think will be lost in the U.S. as a result?

How much will the U.S. economic growth be reduced?According to the CBO,

the U.S. will lose 400,000 jobs and 1% of its economic growth.

Some predict a short-term economic setback, but long-term growth. For example,

Goldman Sachs lowered its forecast for U.S. economic growth for the rest of 2005 but raised 2006 estimates, based on the storm's impact.

The CBO noted that the President has authorized 10.5 Billion in aid, and will be authorizing a lot more soon.

Read here from money.cnn.com's report on katrina and its economic impact.

Creating A Blogging Policy: Suggestions For Companies

2005-09-07T10:35:00.000-05:00

In an interesting article from a great website, lawmemo.com, the authors describe some key issues regarding a company blogging policy. One particularly nice feature of the article is that it explains why an organization should have a blogging policy, including it is more fair to employees; it helps protects company assets, and for other good reasons.

What are some items that should appear in the blogging policy? According to the authors,

*the policy should explain the company rules regarding blogging during work hours;

*the policy should explain how the company defines “blogging” as well as some of the key features of a blog;

*the policy should explain the kinds of blogging conduct that may result in disciplinary action, such as disclosing trade secrets, posting unauthorized copyright material, and so forth.

Read here for more information from this Littler Mendelson article on corporate blogging policies.

pic from clanlife

More on Employers' Responses to Katrina: Legal Obligations and Suggestions

2005-09-06T12:02:00.000-05:00

If you are an employer, or just plain interested, it may be useful to know what employers' obligations and options are in light of a natural disaster, like Katrina.

A recent law firm memo goes a long way toward describing some possible legal obligations and suggests optional ways for employers to help affected employees.

Some of the main points include:

1. Maintaining communications with employees, regarding such items as temporary housing, continued payment of wages, providing time off, and employee benefits. The article points out that websites are a good way to provide key information.

2. Utilization of EAPs; noting the psychological and stress-related issues that may arise, the article suggests making use of an EAPs.

3. Expansion of leave time, particularly since FMLA and/or USERRA may come into play in these kinds of siutations.

4. ADA may entitle some employees to various accommodations, based on phsycial or emotional trauma suffered.

5. Continuation of employee benefit programs should be considered, and requirements under ERISA, insurance company regs for payments, and COBRA-related issues, need to be considered.

For more details, read this memo by Littler Mendelson, on employer responsibilities following a natural disaster like Katrina.

Continuing pay and benefits for Katrina victims; offering aid to displaced businesses so people can get back to work

2005-09-06T09:24:00.000-05:00

NPR reports on various Gulf area employers continuing pay and benefits for their employees affected by Katrina. And Fast Company shows how one creative business is reaching out to a displaced business.

Companies mentioned by NPR include Harrah's, Northrup-Grumman, McDonalds, Harrah's, and Wal-Mart. Want to know who's being most and least generous? Take a guess, then listen to the brief story:

"Firms Work to Locate and Pay Displaced Workers," by Jack Speer.

Another angle on employment relief for Katrina victims came through a link on the Fast Company blog to an offer posted by Brains on Fire, an identity company that builds and revitalizes brands for companies, products and services.

"Brains on Fire" makes this offer on its blog:

Brains on Fire occupies a space in Greenville, South Carolina that is about 11,000 square feet. We have some extra space toward the back of our first floor that we are planning to use for future growth. There are about 10-12 office spaces in total, complete with a furniture system. I was planning on short term subleasing the space, but I would be happy to donate it to a design/creative firm that has been displaced. We would, of course, consider any business in need, but my thinking is someone might benefit from our resources and vendor connections.

These folks are using their brains to find win-win opportunities rising from the ruins. Can you?

Labor Day Special : Labor Law Stories

2005-09-06T00:34:00.000-05:00

Book Review:

When I started practicing labor and employment law in the mid-80s, the days when management labor lawyers primarily handled matters involving unions and collective bargaining were fast receding, with the ebbing tide of union strength and the rising tide of discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation.

But a quip from those days remained and was passed on by my mentors: "labor law isn’t hard; you only need to know one statute" (the National Labor Relations Act, or NLRA).

The inside joke was that though the NLRA is but one fairly short statute, it has never been simple. The NLRA and its amendments were born of tough legislative compromises that created very general, sometimes contradictory language and left massive interpretive gaps. It has been administered for about seventy years by an agency (the NLRB) that eschews rulemaking in favor of common law style case-by-case decisionmaking. Tough issues follow a long, costly, and time-consuming path from NLRB regional office to NLRB in Washington, to federal court of appeals, and finally to Supreme Court, where a long string of landmark decisions have shaped labor law and labor relations.

Labor Law Stories, the latest in an innovative series of "Law Stories," edited by Laura J. Cooper and Catherine L. Fisk, is a 2005 publication of Thomson West’s Foundation Press. This book,in which law professors examine a series of the most important labor law decisions, all but one by the Supreme Court, appears primarily directed at an academic audience, including law students -- for whom it may meaningfully supplement the more standard "casebook" treatment.

It is not surprising that at times, some of the authors revert to typical law review style. They are, after all, engaged in serious scholarship, not simple storytelling, creating important works of legal history, with footnotes reflecting original research from sources such as local newspapers, personal interviews, letters, briefs, and audiotapes of oral arguments.

Nonetheless, at its best moments each chapter manages to transcend its academic manner and tell its own unique and fascinating labor law story, making rewarding reading for anyone with an interest in labor law, the labor movement, or 20th-century American legal and economic history. Several chapters also provide important insight into lesser-known episodes in the civil rights movement and should be of considerable interest for readers studying issues of race in America.

Labor Law Stories is perhaps most fascinating for disclosing the background of some decisions that truly may have been turning points for American labor.

The first chapter, by Julius G. Getman and Thomas C. Kohler, concerns NLRB v. Mackay Radio & Telegraph Co., holding that although the NLRA protects the right to strike, employers have the right to permanently replace strikers. Employers' exercise of this right is often blamed for the weakness of unions and their declining popularity among employees. An excerpt from this chapter is available at Amazon.

The fifth chapter, by Laura J. Cooper and Dennis R. Nolan, concerns NLRB v. Gissel Packing. One issue discussed is the evolution of the law on an employer's right to insist on an NLRB election despite being shown union authorization cards signed by a majority of its employees. This continues to be a sore point with unions, which seek the right to card-check recognition.

Labor Law Stories -- and, presumably, its companions in the "Law Stories" series -- has the potential of filling an important gap in legal education. For years there have been complaints that law school doesn't teach enough lawyering skills. In the 20-some years since I was a law student, it appears there have been significant changes to address this complaint, including legal clinics and trial practice classes.

In my mind, however, the traditional objective of teaching students to "think like a lawyer" continues to be extremely important and difficult to achieve. Routine classroom instruction in substantive law, which exposes students to rapid-fire reading and analysis of huge quantities of case law, runs a danger of failing to convey enough about the process of making law.

Landmark cases, particularly Supreme Court cases, have a way of seeming preordained. Students trained to view court decisions as tools for advocacy, but not to understand how such decisions are the culmination of numerous lawyering and judging choices -- with many "roads not taken" -- may lack the insight and creativity needed to successfully conduct litigation.

Studying "Law Stories" entails visiting a smaller number of cases in much more depth, taking time to meet the parties and their attorneys, learn their backgrounds and motivations, explore the myriad strategic choices of litigants and their counsel, review the agency and lower court proceedings, and learn how the briefing and argument contributed to the final outcome. Such immersion in the long story of a single case as it makes its way to the Supreme Court can help provide the needed sense of process.

It would be a mistake for a casual reader to think that Labor Law Stories simply tells engaging historical stories. It does so, but they are wrapped in serious scholarly content relating the personalities and stories to key labor law principles. A basic grasp of labor law is not an absolute prerequisite to reading this book, as the professors have made an effort to explain the principles required for understanding each chapter.

In the end, the success of Labor Law Stories, and its uniqueness, is in providing an inside view of the process of making labor law, through a mixture of the facts and legal principles, people and companies who participated, and detailed procedural history of each case.

[Disclosure: several months ago, I was asked to review this book, and received a courtesy reviewer's copy. Additionally, I am placing at Amazon ad in the right sidebar. Should you choose to purchase the book and do so through this link, I will receive a slight commission.]

Hurricane Katrina: Blog for Relief Weekend

2005-09-05T10:59:00.000-05:00

I'm catching up to this a bit late, but as I learned from CathColl.net:

"More than a thousand bloggers throughout the world have declared this weekend 'Blogging for Katrina Aid' weekend."

Please go to The Truth Laid Bear to log your contribution. (Need I say, if you haven't made one yet , get off your butt and give according to your ability, and encourage others to do the same.) See also continuing coverage by Instapundit.

May this unparalleled disaster that laid bare our government's ineptitude also expose how much we can do on our own, for each other, without the government.

And may those who initially perceived racial intolerance -- and worse -- in the slow reaction to the plight of some of our neediest citizens of color be heartened by the love and care shown by Americans of all colors, from all parts of the country.

[UPDATE: 9:30 PM Eastern. The million dollar mark has been crossed, thanks to the generosity of all the bloggers and their readers who participated.

Of course it's still not to late to give! And remember, this need will continue for months, if not years. Continue to investigate how you can give of your time and money in your community or otherwise. If you live in an urban area, especially in the South or Midwest, chances are refugees are already there or will be arriving. I already met such a family a few blocks away in St. Louis this afternoon.]

Hiring Katrina refugees: a generous first step

2005-09-03T13:11:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Walter Olson at the ever-popular Overlawyered blog, many have visited here today to read the comments about the employment and HR community's role in Katrina relief.

Positive steps are already being taken.

One company, HireAbility, offers free job postings for hiring Katrina refugees. (I was unable to connect to their website, hopefully a sign they are being swamped with job opportunities!)

Such offers, of course, cannot create desperately needed jobs out of thin air, but should be a further incentive for employers to look closely at the possibility of employing Katrina refugees.

The displaced include folks from all walks of life, through the full range of educational, experience, and skill levels. You may find some very grateful, excellent employees; perhaps some will decide to permanently relocate and become fiercely loyal to your business.

I have contacted Monster.com by email to ask that they consider a similar offer.

Please, take a moment to think about your contacts, and how you can help with the needed employment effort.

Source:Recruiting.com -- "HireAbility Offers Free Job Postings To Aid Katrina Victims"

(photo: refugees in Astrodome by Houstonian via flickr)

Important Katrina comments for businesses and employment professionals

2005-09-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

Amazing: I saw this and meant to post it later; instead it shows up as a comment on my last Katrina post. It's important. Read it. And act.

Last night on NPR I heard a refugee woman from New Orleans expressing a strong desire for one thing above all else: A JOB.

She doesn't want handouts, but has lost everything, including her job. Everything else will come together if she can just find work to support her family.

I have to believe there are many thousands with the same needs and same positive attitude.

Employers, recruiters, hiring managers, etc: look around creatively for ways to connect with these folks and find work for them.

I can't get my mind off of this subject!

UPDATE -- This just in via email from SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) President:

Like all Americans, those of us at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) are deeply saddened by the terrible loss of life and appalled at the catastrophic damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina. Many of SHRM’s members and their employees have been impacted.

Gulf Coast states and communities have borne the brunt of what may turn out to be the worst natural disaster ever to occur in the United States. Katrina has left a path of death, devastation and despair in its wake. The physical destruction is staggering: preliminary damage estimates are already in the tens of billions of dollars, and recovery will take years, possibly decades.

A tragedy of this magnitude will require the assistance of the entire nation in rebuilding the communities that were in the path of the storm. SHRM stands ready to do everything within our power to help the victims and the affected areas to recover.
SHRM will work with volunteer leaders in the most harshly affected states to develop an overall organizational strategy for ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

It is likely that our focus will be on workforce issues that have arisen and will surface as a result of this catastrophe.

In the meantime, we have established a section on our Web site (www.shrm.org) to keep our members and other interested parties up to date on our disaster-related activities. We have also made these resources available to the general public.

I encourage you to contribute in some way to the overall Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, just as you did during the recent tsunami disaster. Cash donations allow agencies to avoid the labor-intensive need to store, sort, pack and distribute donated goods and reduce the transportation costs incurred by the delivery of donated goods.

Furthermore, the American Red Cross has opened a telephone hotline to receive cash donations from citizens. The number is 1-800-435-7669. Additional information on Red Cross emergency programs is available at the Red Cross Web site

Other relief organizations soliciting donations include (click on the following links for information):

• Episcopal Relief & Development
• United Methodist Committee on Relief
• Salvation Army
• Catholic Charities

For more information about how you can help, visit the Web site for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) at http://www.nvoad.org/

The response to last year’s tsunami in Southeast Asia by SHRM members was immediate and inspiring. With your support, I’m certain that we will surpass that effort in response to the tragedy wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

At times like these, all other considerations—social status, political or ideological philosophies, ethnic or racial differences—are set aside. Thousands of our fellow Americans, including some of our members, are suffering. I’m sure that you will want to join the Society in helping them rebuild their shattered lives.

Sue Meisinger, President & CEO

Staring In the Crystal Ball: Trends and Forecasts for Hiring, Compensation, and Retention

2005-09-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks to interbiznet.com, I located an interesting report on hiring, compensation, and retention trends and forecasts.

Based on a survey by Robert Half of some 1,450 workers, including 600 hiring managers, from a variety of industries, we get some answers to interesting questions, such as:

1. Are companies concerned about retention of employees?

2. How are firms trying to improve retention?

3. What % of employees say they are looking for a new job?

4. What % of employees say the job market is challenging?

5. What % of employees say their pay is increased from last year?

6. What % of hiring managers say their starting pay has remained the same or decreased in the past year?

Answers follow next:

1. Are companies concerned about retention of employees?

Not really; 77% of respondents indicated that their company had not instituted policies or practices to increase retention.

2. How are firms trying to improve retention?

Those companies traying to improve retention have given salary increases or flexible work schedules.

3. What % of employees say they are looking for a new job?

28% say they are looking for a new job; 48% say it is likely they will leave their company in the next 3 years.

4. What % of employees say the job market is challenging?

55% said it was tough to find a new job a year ago, and 42% say it is even more difficult today.

5. What % of employees say their pay is increased from last year?

43%. 40% reported no change.

6. What % of hiring managers say their starting pay has remained the same or decreased in the past year?

40% reported no change.

Unfortunately for employees, these data hardly suggest a strong job market. Stay tuned! Read here for the report on trends and predictions for hiring, compensation, and retention.

pic by Nick Douglas

Ernie the Attorney is back, with first hand Katrina tales aplenty

2005-09-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

Ernie the Attorney (Ernest Svenson), one of the longest-running and most popular lawyer-bloggers (Blawgers) is a New Orleans attorney.

Though briefly the blawging community was in the dark and concerned as to Ernie's safety and whereabouts, his blog continued with remarkably little disruption, being briefly handed off to someone else writing as "Ernie's Voice."

The dedication and generosity of bloggers! Fleeing unspeakable devastation, this guy worries about his readers worrying about him and counting on him for news on New Orleans!

His blog is now a tiny personal window into the tragedy.

For more New Orleans insider blogging voices, Ernie recommends the group blog New Orleans Metblog

Seriously now, please give for Katrina victims

2005-09-01T09:56:00.000-05:00

Like most of the country, if not most of the world, my family has spent some very sad and sobering time watching TV reports of the Katrina disaster.

Last night, my wife and I consulted with the older two children (12 and 17) about whether we would be willing to house a refugee family and how much money we should donate to appropriate charities for the relief effort.

The refugee family idea was rejected on fairly practical grounds (safety concerns about living with strangers).

The donation idea was accepted uncritically. One kid said $500, the other (without having heard the $500) said $1,000. Though the idea of such a large donation hurt, we thought their suggestions were in the ballpark and agreed to a donation near the lower end, planning to reassess further donations in the near future based upon finances.

No doubt everyone who reads this is in a different position financially, but we all have so much more than the homeless, jobless, moneyless, hungry, thirsty, dirty, fearful, and grieving hurricane victims.

Please do what you can, ASAP. Many charities are good and deeply involved. American Red Cross and Salvation Army are probably at the top of the list, though we also chose to give to United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) because we know through church affiliation of their many good works.

I thought what we did was a tiny drop in the bucket. Then I realized that if just a million people give $500, that's $500 million. Some can afford much more; many can afford less. If 10 million give $100, that's a billion. Those are the kind of numbers that are needed.

(hurricane pic from Something in My Eye)